It’s been a very difficult week for many people. I honestly believe that no matter how the election turned out, half of our country would have been upset, however this rage and hatred has reached a level online that I’ve never seen before.
Watching the news feeds have been horrific. Saddening really.
Adults are acting like children. They are calling the Trump voters some very troubling names, some are asking anyone on their friends list if they voted for Trump to literally unfriend them.
If we witnessed our children doing this, I’m confident we would chat with them about kindness and compassion towards each other.
Most importantly, respecting each other’s differences — although we completely understand we don’t agree on everything, we must respect each other. We must learn to be constructive, not combative with each other when we don’t see eye to eye.
Just prior the election, I watched a mini-documentary series by CNN political contributor, Van Jones called The Messy Truth. It was very interesting as he meet and spoke with educated people-women and men and asked them why they were voting for Trump.
I respect people for their opinions of why they are voting for their candidates, as did Mr. Jones, but what broke my heart is when he interviewed mothers that were shunned on social media from their friends when they told people who they were voting for.
This was very common.
People soon realized they had to be, as Kellyanne Conway later said in an interview, “undercover,” if they were going to vote for Trump for fear of being shamed or unfriended by people they did care about.
It was this growing underground of silent people that likely help bring Trump to the finish-line.
Adults acting badly.
Yes, grown-ups unfriending each other because they didn’t agree with who they were voting for, and calling each other names.
What type of example are we setting for our children? I listen as parents struggle with what to say to their kids, both of my children are grown adults — but my son is still having a very hard time. The fact is even before this election, we allowed our social media to be full of discontentment (in my opinion) on both sides. Maybe this is a time in history that we are all going to learn from.
Just because politicians get ugly – it doesn’t mean we have to. Watching and reading some of the trash online (for both sides) hasn’t been a walk in the park – and these were adults posting these images/comments. Can’t we be passionate about a cause without being cruel?
I watched a mother (in The Messy Truth) as she tried to hold back her tears, she said she lost one of her closest friends during this election time.
We thought…..When the election is over – we can go back to our lives. It seems everyone automatically assumed things would go “their” way – like a child having a tantrum, knowing they’d get their prize at the end.
So it’s over and the bullish behavior of some adults has not improved ‘yet’, in some cases, has worsened. Let’s keep in mind — many consider your online social behavior a reflection of your character – don’t allow it to be an ugly one – be someone you are proud of.
How you will help curb this online cruelty?
I know it will take time, but let’s remember to enter social media with compassion towards each other — no matter who’s sitting in the White House.
We are the role-models not only to our children, but to each other.
